


the only thing you need is a little bit of speed

by aceofdiamonds



Series: harry potter au [4]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-28
Updated: 2012-12-28
Packaged: 2017-11-22 16:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/612003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofdiamonds/pseuds/aceofdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Harry met Louis (Harry is shy with an infatuation and Louis is a little bit condescending to everyone).</p>
            </blockquote>





	the only thing you need is a little bit of speed

**Author's Note:**

> how the harry potter au began. i can't seem to let go of this 'verse.

"He's staring again." Zayn mutters into the rim of his goblet. It’s the Welcome Feast and Louis is tired from the journey and doesn’t particularly want to eat. But this cheers him up.  
  
"Who? Oh, so he is. He has very pretty eyes doesn't he? Very green." Louis laughs, staring right back at the boy at the Gryffindor table who has had a not so secret crush on Louis for years and never done anything about it. "Is it just me or is he taller?"  
  
Zayn spears a potato and chews before answering, "He's sitting down, Lou."   
  
Louis tilts his head, thoughtful. "Maybe this year he'll finally do something about his infatuation."  
  
"You mean maybe this year you'll jump him."   
  
"There will be no jumping, Zayn. No jumping at all. Especially not just after eating."  
  
"You're doing it just now?" Zayn almost chokes on his steak pie.   
  
"Don't be silly, Zayn." Louis arches his neck to see the boy better. Their eyes meet; Louis winks and the boy flushes a brilliant red. "Eat your dinner."   
  
"You're being condescending again."   
  
"Of course I'm not, Zayn. Do you want me to cut that up for you?" 

“Don’t throw food, Zayn.”

 

\---

  
  
It takes another three weeks for Louis to find out anything else about the boy. Fifth year means OWLs which means homework which means Louis and Zayn barely have any time to talk never mind keep an eye on lovesick Gryffindors.   
  
"Liam!" Louis says one night while playing Exploding Snap with Zayn and Nick and Greg.   
  
"I'm Zayn." Zayn rolls his eyes and throws down another card.   
  
"No. Your Liam. He's a Gryffindor."   
  
"Your observational skills are exemplary." Nick drawls, slapping a hand on the matching cards. "Snap."   
  
Louis waves his arms around, excited. "He can be our spy!"   
  
"Liam's not being a spy, Louis." Zayn says. Zayn and Liam have been best friends forever. They grew up beside each other and every memory Zayn has involves Liam and vice versa. Now Zayn is a Slytherin and Liam is a Gryffindor so they don't spend as much time together as they used to but they still find a way. "Stalk him yourself."  
  
"Who're you stalking this year, Lou?" Nick asks, shuffling the cards then dealing.   
  
"That fourth year who has been stalking _me_ since he got here."   
  
"How d'you know he's a fourth year?" Greg asks from where he's slumped under the table, grabbing each card as Nick deals it. "Thought you knew nothing about him."  
  
Louis sighs like he's had this question a hundred times before. "Well he wasn't there in first year and he was in second year, so, unless he's a transfer from Beauxbatons, where he would fit in very nicely I might add, I think we can conclude that he is a fourth year." 

“It’s you to start, Louis.”

Louis loses the next three games due to trying out persuasion methods on Zayn.

 

\---

 

“Harry.”

“We’ve been best friends for five years. Are we ever going to remember each other’s names, Grant?”

Zayn glares as he throws himself into the armchair beside Louis. “Your stalker. His name’s Harry Styles.”

“Oh, Zayn, you’re one in a million.” Louis says, leaning into Zayn’s space. Zayn frowns but then loops an arm round Louis’s neck and pulls him closer. “What else did Liam say?”

“Liam says he’s quiet. Funny. Girls love him.”

“Girls.” says Louis sharply.

Zayn smirks. “I didn’t say he loves girls, did I? And you were right. Fourth year.”

Louis smacks a kiss on Zayn’s cheek, laughing delightedly when Zayn grumbles and pushes him away. Louis sinks to the floor and rests his chin on his hands, grinning. Harry Styles from Gryffindor. What a pretty name.

 

\---

 

Louis could plan how to seduce Harry. He could sit and agonise over it until his head hurts but he’s more an actfirstexplainlater type. That being said, even he’s a little flustered when the first time he comes into physical contact with Harry is when he walks straight into him coming out the library one cold dark night in November.

 “Oh.” He says once he’s picked himself up off the floor and helped Harry up. He pushes aside the way his whole body had tingled when his hand grasped Harry’s.

“Oh.” Harry blushes. “Hello... Louis.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know my name, Harry Styles.” Louis laughs. “I’ve seen you.”

“Seen me what?”

“Watching me, of course!”

“Oh.” Harry says again and blushes some more. “You probably think I’m a creep.”

Louis tilts his head to the side, a smile spreading across his lips. “Not really. I think you’re cute.”

Harry’s whole face lights up; Louis watches as he tries to school his expression back to neutral, but his eyes are sparkling and his grin keeps leaking out from where he’s bitten his lip to try and stop it. “Thank you.”

“Aren’t you going to say something nice about me?”

Harry laughs. “I could say a whole list. Where do you want me to start?” But Louis shakes his head and steps closer.

“I was right.” he says, “You are tall.”

Harry’s smile widens. “You’ve been discussing me.” It’s not a question.

“Well of course. It’s not every day I have attractive boys asking me out.”

“No? I was expecting to have to wait in line.”

Louis reaches out to touch Harry’s arm, laughing. “You’re a right charmer, Harry Styles. Where have you been for the last four years?”

Harry shrugs. “Was always too scared you’d laugh in my face if I came near you.”

“And what makes you think I won’t do that now?” Louis asks.

“One: you approached me.” Harry says. “And two: you so want to kiss me right now.”

"We might as well get it over with, then." Louis says like he’s not looking forward to it at all, and then yanks at Harry's collar and kisses him. Harry makes a surprised sound against his lips like he can't actually believe this is happening but then kisses back, his mouth opening to deepen the kiss as his hands come up to settle at Louis's waist drawing him closer. Louis sighs, stands on his tiptoes to push into Harry. It's pretty perfect as kisses go, and he should know, he’s kissed enough people. He's tingling all the way down to his toes (not like the time he spilt Shrinking Solution all over himself. A good tingling) and his head is spinning as Harry kisses him like he's been wanting this forever. 

Louis grabs on and memorises everything he can because this is something he’s going to think about whenever things aren’t going the way he wants. He licks into Harry’s mouth, swallowing Harry’s whimper and tugging on his curls, threading them through his fingers.  
  
Harry keeps breaking away to smile and Louis has to reassure him that yes this is real please never stop and so Harry doesn’t.

Louis pulls away but stays tangled with Harry. They’re both breathing heavily. "Well. That's that, eh." he says, running a thumb along Harry's plump bottom lip.   
  
"I'm glad I got this chance to get to know you better." Harry says, his eyes shining. "House communication and all that."  
  
"Doing our bit for the school, that’s right." 

Harry looks nervous again, despite the fact that Louis keeps stealing kisses and despite the fact that Louis is hard against his thigh.

“This isn’t a dream, you know.” Louis grins, and then winks.

“I know.” Harry replies. “I’m just taking it in. Shut up.” He laughs when Louis opens his mouth to tease him. “I’ve wanted this for a while, you know that.”

Louis’s watched Harry watch him for four years so he’s been aware of Harry’s thing for him but it’s nice hearing it out loud all the same, it’s nice to feel wanted like that. It makes him warm and giddy inside, like Butterbeer does, but better.

“So, Harry Styles. What do you say about making this a regular thing?” Louis doesn’t do “regular things” but there’s something about Harry. Something he doesn’t want to let go of.

“Why, I barely know you.” Harry gasps, mock scandalised. His voice is deep and rough in places; Louis wants to wrap himself up in it. “What kind of boy do you think I am?”

“An easy one.” Louis smirks, slanting their mouths together. He pulls away but Harry chases the kiss, groaning when Louis leans way back.

Harry smiles so big Louis thinks his face might split in two. “You’ve worn me down, I suppose. I’d like that very much, Louis Tomlinson.” And then leans down to kiss Louis’s hand, both of them laughing too loud in the quiet corridor.

 

\---

 

Louis lets the boys meet Harry after a month. They’re keeping it quiet, just between the two of them, because they’re from enemy houses and Louis doesn’t want to break the unspoken rule of dating between the houses, even though he’s broken just about every Official rule, but Louis is having fun and so he thinks it’s time enough Harry meets his friends.

“They’re idiots.” He warns, as they hover outside the kitchen. Niall always chooses here; he has the house elves wrapped around his little finger. “Ignore anything they say.”

“Duly noted.” Harry grins, linking their fingers.

“Apart from Liam.” Louis concedes. “Liam is sensible.”

They’re in the kitchen now and Niall squawks at the remark. “Are you saying Zayn and I aren’t sensible?” He’s hanging upside down from one of the long tables and Zayn is throwing Pepper Imps at his head.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Horan.”

“Hi, Harry.” Liam says, coming over to greet them.

Harry grins. “Liam. Were you the spy?”

“He did it against his own free will, just so you know.” Zayn calls over. “Nice to finally meet you, Harry.” He adds. “All I’ve heard for the last month is Harry this and Harry that.”

“Really?” Harry turns on Louis with a smirk. “Well I hope I live up to the legend.”

Louis shakes his head, trying for nonchalant. “Zayn’s a compulsive liar. We don’t like him.”

“Oi! I do.” Niall pipes up, sort of glaring at Louis upside down. It doesn’t get the desired effect.

“Thanks, mate.” Zayn grins, and ruffles Niall’s hair making Niall jerk and bash his head against the bench.

Louis huffs and buries his face in Harry’s neck, inhaling. “I’m sorry about them. Like I said: _idiots_.” He leans up and presses a kiss to Harry’s mouth, tasting Harry’s smile.

“I like them.” Harry says quietly, resting his forehead against Louis’s. “They seem like good friends. And they keep you in line.”

Louis snorts. “No one can keep me in line.” He sucks in a breath when Harry’s fingers dig into his hips, pressing into the bruises he left yesterday. “Not completely.”

Harry smirks, and he’s so goddamn pretty that all Louis can do is kiss him again. They spend a lot of time kissing. But they talk too; Louis knows that Harry is a Muggleborn, he has a sister and he doesn’t know a thing about Quidditch. He likes being kissed just under his ear, and Fizzing Whizbees, and Transfiguration. He doesn’t like dragons and he’s been teaching Louis Muggle songs that are all about unrequited love and fucking and sometimes happiness. Louis hopes there’s a song out there just for them; something that describes this feeling like he’s walking on clouds and no amount of _Crucio_ s could stop him feeling this happiness. 

“Get a room, eh?” Niall yells over, and then flicks his wand so tiny hearts flutter around Harry and Louis. Harry throws his head back in a laugh while Louis swats away the falling hearts.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Horan. Aren’t Hufflepuffs supposed to be nice to everyone?”

Niall rolls his eyes at Zayn who laughs and rolls his back. “Not to utter twats.”

“I’m taking Harry away.” Louis shouts, putting Harry in a headlock and dragging him back over to the door. “He’s too nice for you lot.”

“Maybe Harry likes us more than you already.” Zayn says, flicking a Pepper Imp at Liam who squeaks when it hits him right in the middle of his forehead.  “Why don’t you give him a choice?”

“Fine. Harry. Do you want to stay?”

Harry looks completely amused; taking his time weighing up his two options. Eventually he shrugs, “I’d like to stay. If you’ll have me.” He gestures at Liam who smiles warmly and waves a hand towards the table which Niall is now dancing along triumphantly singing _we beat Lou_ over and over again, Zayn clapping along enthusiastically. Niall and Louis are worryingly competitive, always trying to one up on the other in everything from Quidditch to eating breakfast. It’s completely friendly, but the sides have always been evenly matched with Zayn on Niall’s and Liam not always willingly taking Louis’s, so making the group uneven just makes things even more interesting.

“You coming, Lou?” Harry asks, holding out his hand. Louis pretends to huff for a moment, turning his head away, just to keep up pretences, then slips his hand in Harry’s and walks over to the table. 

(In a couple of years, when Louis is being stupid and doing the whole Let's Ignore Harry So We Don't Have to Say Goodbye thing he'll think back to this moment, with his hand tiny in Harry's, and know they've been meant to be since the start.)


End file.
